Although the Port Liberté community in Jersey City is known for its canalside condominiums and views of the Manhattan skyline across the Upper New York Bay, the next residents of the complex might actually be living on property located further inland.
Filings from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) show that 14 new residential buildings are being proposed for the neighborhood by Hoboken-based New Liberty Residential Urban Renewal Co., LLC. Although few details are listed about the plans by the company, what is known is that the planned structures would include 69 townhouses and be located near the corner of Chapel Avenue and Freedom Way. The plans also call for installing a parking area along with conducting roadway and infrastructure improvements.
Currently, the site where the townhouses are expected to rise consists of several large gated lots along the entrance road to Port Liberté. The developer, which also owns these properties, is registered out of the same address in Hoboken as Ironstate Development. However, a listing posted on the website of Midtown Manhattan-based BlueGate Partners states that the facility is for sale and that its developable land could potentially include up to 1,633 new units.
Port Liberté is one of the more unique developments to be completed in Hudson County over the last few decades, particularly because of its isolated location at the edge of the Liberty National Golf Course away from other Jersey City neighborhoods. Although New York Waterway provides ferry service to Lower Manhattan and a private shuttle service to the Grove Street PATH Station is available for residents, there are no New Jersey Transit bus or light rail stops in the immediate vicinity.
Built beginning in 1985 following a major environmental cleanup, the complex was designed to look like European cities such as Venice, with some residents having their own boats to travel on the property’s canals. It was originally expected to be even larger and include a hotel. The community’s location has made it vulnerable to sea level rise, as was evident during Superstorm Sandy when there was severe damage to the ferry terminal and The Pointe restaurant at Port Liberté.
